a suggestion or two :)

[Czaxx]

Hi All,

I've been one of those terrible silent testers for quite a while, trying out all the dev versions and finding no bugs to report - well maybe that's a good thing.

I've been trying to play without save/restore (bar saving at the end of each scenario), so when my high-end troops die, they die. So I'm often playing with a combination of high-med-low toop units.

After reading the release notes for the latest dev version (I'm still trying out 0.4.5). I noticed that a 'plauge' option had been implemented for wraiths and walking corpses. Wraiths are already quite powerful and the addition of this option may tip the balance, especially if you are using an 'expendable troop' tactic to prevent wraiths from getting to more powerful troops before they are sufficiently knackered for your powerful troops to kill them in one turn, or to attract them away from troops that cannot be killled (like Konrad). I have found this a useful tactic if the previous scenario has left you without a significant number of higher level troops (ie. you've just scraped though). The plague option for walking corpses is OK beacuse they are rarely responsible for deaths and are reasonably easy to kill anyway. The plague option reminds me of a game called 'king's bounty' (same guys who made heroes of might and magic - similar concept too) where ghosts would create ghosts for every troop killed. If you knew that you were going to face ghosts you shed all troops that were easy to kill (because you could buy higher level troops outright), to avoid a ghost overrrun, but in wesnoth you really don't have that option - if you don't have enough higher troops you must supplement with new recruits, wraiths are too good at killing these Walking corpses are easy enogh to hold off with a limited number of higher level troops or a combination of higher and lower end troop units.

All of that being said, I haven't cracked open a fresh 0.4.6 yet and my fears may not be realised .

I also have a suggestion for a future release. When a troop unit hasn't been moved (something that often happens at night) maybe they should get a bonus to their defence at the expense of their riposte attack. This allows for a more cautious and defensive style of advance on enemy positions - really helps when an army consists of lower level troops at higher level scenarios.

Anyhow, its a great game that takes up far too much of my time

Cheers,

Czaxx.

[Dave]

Hi Czaxx,

Thanks for your feedback, I'm glad you like the game.

I've been one of those terrible silent testers for quite a while, trying out all the dev versions and finding no bugs to report - well maybe that's a good thing.

I like hearing from people who have tested a whole lot and haven't found any bugs

It gives some level of confidence that the version is stable, rather than simply not having been tested.

Purely from a morale point of view, it's nice to hear people sometimes say "I played and there were no bugs!" rather than always hearing about bugs. So thank you for your "no bugs to report" report!

I've been trying to play without save/restore (bar saving at the end of each scenario), so when my high-end troops die, they die. So I'm often playing with a combination of high-med-low toop units.

This is the way the game is really intended to be played

After reading the release notes for the latest dev version (I'm still trying out 0.4.5). I noticed that a 'plauge' option had been implemented for wraiths and walking corpses. Wraiths are already quite powerful and the addition of this option may tip the balance,

Yes, wraiths are already powerful, however the mitigating factor here is that they only have plague ability for their long-range attack. Their short-range attack already has the 'drain' ability attached to it, and attacks can't have more than one ability. So they'll only create a new wraith if they kill you with their long range attack, which is much less powerful than their short range attack.

At the moment, assuming the undead is controlled by the AI, wraiths having plague might be almost academic, since the current AI will rarely use the long-range attack of wraiths -- only if the unit being attacked has a good short range attack and little or no long range attack. In fact, I'm not sure if I've ever seen a wraith kill one of my units with its long range attack.

I have been considering switching this around - making the wraith's long range attack drain, and its short range attack plague. Although plague is powerful, so is drain, and this might actually make wraiths less powerful rather than more. I'm also going to look at modifying the AI so it uses plague more.

However if any changes turn out to make wraiths too powerful, we'll look at weakening them. They already are powerful units. I hate fighting them

The plague option for walking corpses is OK beacuse they are rarely responsible for deaths and are reasonably easy to kill anyway.

Well for walking corpses it's probably academic, since walking corpses do kill so rarely, and even if they do, getting another level 0 unit is hardly going to do much for them.

All of that being said, I haven't cracked open a fresh 0.4.6 yet and my fears may not be realised .

Well if you have any concerns about it after playing 0.4.6, let us know!

I also have a suggestion for a future release. When a troop unit hasn't been moved (something that often happens at night) maybe they should get a bonus to their defence at the expense of their riposte attack. This allows for a more cautious and defensive style of advance on enemy positions - really helps when an army consists of lower level troops at higher level scenarios.

I have considered adding a 'defensive' ability to certain units, that would give them abilities like this.

Anyhow, its a great game that takes up far too much of my time

Glad you like it

David

[B0rsuk]

Intelligence (in game !!!) can easily become useless, if there's no unit to advance. At this point, Strong, Quick or Resilient would help much more.

Not all units advance to 3rd level. After advancing intelligent Horseman to Outrider you no longer receive any intel benefits. I suggest that Intelligence should increase long range and magical damage by 1, and strenght should increase only short range attacks. Perhaps it should work only when unit can't advance anymore to prevent Int from becoming overpowered.


Mage of Light His ability is very nice, but he loses healing ability ! Now, in scenario6, I have to advance 35 exp knight to paladin to get some healing. Scenario7 is going to be tough...

What I'm trying to say that there should be choice which unit do you want to advance to. Either Mage Of Light, or Healer or someone like that.

It would be frustrating if I had to advance Elvish Captains to Champions. I would avoid any physical contact.

[Dave]

Intelligence (in game !!!) can easily become useless, if there's no unit to advance. At this point, Strong, Quick or Resilient would help much more.

Yes, however it is easier for an intelligent unit to get to the stage where it can't advance further than it is for other units. This is part of the tradeoff of intelligent units: they are a little easier to get to second/third level, but once they are there, they are not quite as useful.

I do have an idea for a feature that would allow all units to advance higher in some form, even once they get to their highest level. It'd basically work by them choosing an 'area' to improve in - short range attacks, long range attacks, movement, etc. However the improvements would be much less dramatic than they would be for actually increasing levels, but they would be something. If this feature were implemented, intelligence would always have some value.

Mage of Light His ability is very nice, but he loses healing ability ! Now, in scenario6, I have to advance 35 exp knight to paladin to get some healing. Scenario7 is going to be tough...

What I'm trying to say that there should be choice which unit do you want to advance to. Either Mage Of Light, or Healer or someone like that.

I agree. Generally advancing a unit should never be seen as a 'bad' thing.

There are going to be some changes in the next version:

- two types of healing ability. 'heal' and 'cure'.
- units with 'cure' can heal a maximum of 18 hitpoints, distributed to the units around them. Each unit next to a curing unit can be healed for a maximum of 8 hitpoints
- units with 'heal' can heal 8/4.
- White mage and druid have cure. Paladin and shaman have heal.

The problem you point out will still be potentially possible, however it may not have as much impact with the new possibility of getting druids, and the ability to use shamen for basic healing. Your feedback on whether the solution is acceptable will be appreciated once you've had a chance to test it.

If this is still not acceptable, then we have a couple of options:

- add a new unit which can be chosen instead of Mage of Light, which has curing.
- make Mage of Light cure.

David

[B0rsuk]

Do I understand correctly ?

You want to give healing to level1 unit (shaman) ?


Anyway, further increase of stats (specialisation) seems reasonable. 70-100 exp for one damage point...

[Dave]

Do I understand correctly ?

You want to give healing to level1 unit (shaman) ?

This is correct. However healing will not be very powerful.

The new powerful version of healing will be 'cure', which will be held by white mages and druids, both of which are second level.

David

[miyo]

When units become more experienced learning/advancing becomes harder - master's train more to keep their skills in shape than learning more.

I think level 3-4 is enough now.

I don't want this game to have superunits.

- Miyo

[Dave]

When units become more experienced learning/advancing becomes harder - master's train more to keep their skills in shape than learning more.

I think level 3-4 is enough now.

I don't want this game to have superunits.

Don't worry, it won't have 'super units'.

The advancement possibilities for a third level unit would be very mild, and it would need doubling experience each time to advance further.

David

[ettin]

I think level 3-4 is enough now.
I don't want this game to have superunits.

I agree. But, I also think that heroes (like Konrad) always must be at least, 1 or 2 higher levels than the rest.

[B0rsuk]

Konrad... is young and inexperienced. He might be talented, but don't make him Ubermansh.

[Dave]

I'd actually, maybe, like to make Konrad start at level 1, but have the potential to advance to level 4, or even 5. He's going to be with you all game, so he should have lots of advancement potential.

Li'sar should also probably start on level 2, and be advanceable as well.

David